Tournament bonus awards and related methods

1. A method for administering a tournament game, the tournament game being a tournament, on a plurality of gaming machines, each having a processor, and the plurality of gaming machines being in communication with a tournament server or a tournament bonus controller that perform the method comprising:

reconfiguring at least one networked gaming machine from a base game mode into a tournament mode by altering content presented in a display of the at least one networked gaming machine from base game content to tournament content;

establishing one or more tournament prizes and one or more tournament bonus prizes, wherein the one or more tournament prizes are distinct from the one or more tournament bonus prizes, wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are not calculated based on tournament standings of players in the tournament game and the one or more tournament bonus prizes do not influence the tournament standing of the players in the tournament game, and wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are a mystery prize, wherein the mystery prize is awarded when a preselected number of tournament game plays is reached;

initiating play of the tournament game on the at least one networked gaming machine;

awarding the one or more tournament bonus prizes if a preselected criteria is achieved during play of the tournament game; and

awarding the one or more tournament prizes to one or more winners at the conclusion of the tournament game based on the tournament standing of the one or more winners.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising altering content of a video display of the at least one networked gaming machine to display tournament information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tournament bonus prize is a progressive prize that is augmented during tournament play until the progressive prize is won.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the progressive prize is a cash award, a non-cash award, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving performance data regarding the tournament game from the at least one networked gaming machine, the performance data being used to determine the one or more tournament bonus prizes.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the performance data includes total wagers, total points won, time elapsed, time remaining, games played, games remaining, particular winning symbol combinations, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the awarding one or more tournament bonus prizes during play of the tournament game further comprises:

determining whether a randomly selected value of aggregate tournament wagers, aggregate tournament winnings, or aggregate tournament game plays is reached during play of the tournament game; and

transmitting a tournament bonus award message to the networked gaming machine if the randomly selected value is reached.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the awarding one or more tournament bonus prizes during play of the tournament game further comprises:

determining whether an elapsed time of tournament play has reached a randomly selected duration during play of the tournament game; and

transmitting a tournament bonus award message to the at least one networked gaming machine if the elapsed time is reached.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the awarding one or more tournament bonus prizes during play of the tournament game further comprises:

determining whether a particular game outcome has been achieved during play of the tournament game; and

transmitting an tournament bonus award message to the at least one networked gaming machine if the particular game outcome is reached.

10. A method for administering a tournament game, the tournament game being a tournament, on a plurality of gaming machines, each having a processor, and the plurality of gaming machines being in communication with a tournament server or a tournament bonus controller that perform the method comprising:

reconfiguring at least one networked gaming machine from a base game mode into a tournament mode by altering content presented in a display of the at least one networked gaming machine from base game content to tournament content, wherein wagers are not required for game play in the tournament mode;

altering content of a video display of the at least one networked gaming machine to display tournament information;

establishing one or more tournament prizes and one or more tournament bonus prizes, the one or more tournament prizes are based upon tournament game performance data, wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are not calculated based on tournament standings of players in the tournament game and the one or more tournament bonus prizes do not influence the tournament standing of the players in the tournament game, and wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are a mystery prize, wherein the mystery prize is awarded when an elapsed tournament play time reaches a preselected, random-generated time;

awarding the one or more tournament bonus prizes if a preselected value of the tournament performance data is achieved during play of the tournament game; and

awarding the one or more tournament prizes to one or more winners at the conclusion of the tournament game based on the tournament standing of the one or more winners, wherein the one or more tournament prizes are independent and distinct from the one or more tournament bonus prizes.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the tournament game performance data includes total wagers, total points won, time elapsed, time remaining, games played, games remaining, particular winning symbol combinations, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving the tournament game performance data during play of the tournament game; and

determining whether a preselected value of aggregate tournament wagers, aggregate tournament winnings, or aggregate tournament game plays is reached during play of the tournament game.

13. A method for administering a tournament game, the tournament game being a tournament, on a plurality of gaming machines, each having a processor, and the plurality of gaming machines being in communication with a tournament server or a tournament bonus controller that perform the method comprising:

reconfiguring at least one networked gaming machine from a base game mode into a tournament mode by altering content presented in a display of the at least one networked gaming machine from base game content to tournament content:

receiving an user input selecting a tournament performance criteria using the processor associated with each gaming machine, wherein the tournament performance criteria is selected from the group consisting of time elapsed, time remaining, games played, games remaining;

establishing a randomly-generated winning value corresponding to the selected tournament performance criteria;

periodically receiving the selected tournament performance criteria data from the gaming machines presenting the tournament game;

determining whether a winning value of the selected tournament performance criteria has been achieved during play of the tournament game; and

awarding one or more tournament bonus prizes if the winning value is achieved during play of the tournament game, wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are not calculated based on tournament standings of players in the tournament game and the one or more tournament bonus prizes do not influence the tournament standing of the players in the tournament game, and wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes are a mystery prize; and

awarding one or more tournament prizes to one or more winners at the conclusion of the tournament game based on the tournament standing of the one or more winners, wherein the one or more tournament prizes are distinct from the one or more tournament bonus prizes.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising reconfiguring at least one networked gaming machines into a tournament mode.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising altering content of a video display of the at least one networked gaming machine to display tournament information.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tournament bonus prize is a progressive prize that is augmented during tournament play until the progressive prize is won.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the progressive prize is a cash award, a non-cash award, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more tournament bonus prizes that are a mystery prize include a cash award, a non-cash award, or a combination thereof.